As always, the latest iPhone and its gorgeous screen and vast ecosystem of content is worth your consideration. For those looking to break free of iOS or Android altogether, the underrated Windows Phone 8 awaits.

How can you possibly decide? I've rounded up the seven best smartphones available, and I'll tell you what makes them good.

For a more detailed comparison of these and more smartphones, you can visit the up-to-date smartphone comparison chart on my site. Don't forget my tablet comparison chart if you're in the market for one of those.

HTC One

Honed from a slab of aluminum, this 4G LTE flagship from HTC wows on looks and specs. It features a high-resolution 4.7-inch screen and 32 or 64 GB of storage and is powered by a quad-core processor.

HTC also worked hard on customizing the latest version of the Android operating system, Jelly Bean. The BlinkFeed feature gives you a live-updated home screen similar to Windows Phone 8.

While other phone makers race to up camera megapixel counts, HTC went in the other direction with the One's UltraPixel Camera. It has fewer megapixels, but a bigger sensor than other smartphones. If you love to shoot in low light or at night, you should give the One a serious look.

Cost: Not known yet. Available in April at AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.

IPhone 5

Apple's flagship smartphone introduced last September has a 4-inch Retina screen and the ability to connect to 4G LTE networks from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

Because of the new Lightning dock connector and dual-core A6 processor, the iPhone 5 is notably slimmer than the 4S and twice as fast.

The rear camera's sensor matches the 4S in size, 8 megapixels but captures much better pictures in low-light situations.

For many users, the iPhone 5's best feature will be access to the App Store, which is approaching 1 million apps.

Cost: $199 (16GB); $299 (32GB); $399 (64GB) with a two-year contract.

Apple also sells an unlocked, contract-free iPhone 5 starting at $649. It works only on GSM networks, such as AT&T in the U.S. Learn how a no-contract phone can save you money in the long run: www.komando.com/columns/index.aspx?id=12827.

HTC 8X

Want something different from iOS or Android? The Windows Phone 8 operating system is a good place to look. Its “live tile” home screen is a definite winner.

If you want to try it out, the HTC 8X with a 4.3-inch display is an excellent choice.

This sleek and compact phone boasts a speedy dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM on the inside, which is a big improvement over past Windows Phone units. Plus, it's 4G LTE-capable.

The Windows Phone 8 operating system has far fewer apps available for it, compared with iOS and Android, but you'll stay productive with mobile versions of Excel, Word, OneNote and PowerPoint.

Nonexpandable storage maxes out at 16GB, but that can be extended with Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage service.

Cost: $100 (16GB), with a two-year Verizon or AT&T contract; $130 with a two-year T-Mobile contract.

Although thicker and heavier, the Nokia Lumia 920 ($100, AT&T) is another great option for Windows Phone fans.

Nexus 4

Launched last November, this popular unlocked phone from Google and LG has a 4.7-inch display. How popular is it? It's often back-ordered one to two weeks.

The wait is worth it, though.

The combination of quad-core processor and stock Android Jelly Bean make the Nexus 4 a snappy smartphone.

Although it's limited to HSPA+ “4G” connectivity, that's fast enough for average users. It works only on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile.

The previous version of the Nexus had a so-so 5MP camera. The 4's 8MP camera is a lot better and more fun, especially when taking panoramas. Both vertical and horizontal images can be stitched into stunning Photo Sphere pictures.

Cost, unlocked from Google: $299 (8GB); $349 ($16GB). T-Mobile is selling the Nexus 4 for $50 (Web-only, after a mail-in rebate of $50) with a two-year contract.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

There were a few jeers when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note II, a “phablet” (phone + tablet) with a gigantic 5.5-inch screen that's includes an advanced S Pen stylus. Despite that, it has become a top choice of many mobile business users who need 4G connectivity and like to quickly jot down notes, make annotations and run two apps side by side.

The Galaxy Note II features a quad-core processor and runs on Android Jelly Bean. You can expand the 16GB or 32GB of internal storage up to an additional 64GB using a microSD card.

Cost: $300 (16GB) with a two-year contract from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T; $369 with a T-Mobile contract.

Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy is the phone line that grabbed attention away from the iPhone and shifted it toward Android.

The 4G LTE Galaxy S4 is the best version yet. With its polycarbonate shell available in white or gray, it looks a lot like the S III, but the S4 is lighter and thinner and features an expanded 5-inch HD screen, 13 MP rear camera and faster quad-core processor.

Samsung integrated a ton of useful, customized software features into the 4.2.2 Android Jelly Bean operating system. S Translator allows you to converse in 10 languages while using email or the ChatOn instant messaging app. In the car, control the phone hands-free with S Voice Drive.

Infrared technology allows users to tilt the phone up or down to scroll. You also can use your finger like an S Pen, but there's no need to actually touch the screen, just hover slightly above it. A video will pause if you look away from the screen and resume when you look back.

Choose storage of 16, 32 or 64 GB, which can be expanded with up to a 64 GB microSD card.

Cost: Not known yet. Available in late April at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

LG Optimus G

LG proved it still can make a splash in the smartphone world with the Optimus G, a close cousin of the Nexus 4.

Sprint's version features a powerful 13MP camera although AT&T's model is no slouch at 8MP. Sprint's model has 32 GB of nonexpandable storage, while AT&T's 16GB Optimus can be expanded via microSD card. Either way, you'll get a blazing-fast quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a nice 4.7-inch display.

The Optimus G now has Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but it should get an update to the newer Jelly Bean soon.

Cost: $50 ($32GB) with a two-year Sprint contract, new line only; $100 (16GB) with a two-year AT&T contract.

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